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# Best Business/Managerial Economics Programs in California

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Business Colleges in California](/rankings/best-business-colleges-in-california/)

This page ranks the 6 Business/Managerial Economics programs in California by the median earnings of Business/Managerial Economics graduates four years after completing. [Chapman University](/school/chapman-university/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $84,978 for its graduates four years after completing.

Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $84,978 to $69,338, with a median of $79,936.

The list is evenly split between 3 public and 3 private nonprofit institutions. California State University-Long Beach posts the lowest average net price at $10,440, while California State University-Long Beach ranks 5th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

6 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $84,978 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
|  | [Chapman University](/school/chapman-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $84,978](/school/chapman-university/outcomes/) for its Business/Managerial Economics graduates four years after completing, alongside a cohort of 46 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 2 | Westmont College · Santa Barbara, CA | $84,815 | $29,053 | $20,899 | 77.1% |
|  | Westmont College, a private nonprofit institution in Santa Barbara, carries an average net price of $29,053 and a median federal debt of $25,000 among Business/Managerial Economics completers who borrowed. |
| 3 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $82,064 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
|  | [University of California-Santa Cruz](/school/university-of-california-santa-cruz/majors/) [admits 66% of applicants](/school/university-of-california-santa-cruz/admissions/) and ranks 109th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 4 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $77,807 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
|  | With a cohort of 648 graduates in the earnings cohort, [University of California-Irvine](/school/university-of-california-irvine/majors/) posts [median earnings of $77,807](/school/university-of-california-irvine/outcomes/) for its Business/Managerial Economics graduates four years after completing. |
| 5 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $73,980 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
|  | [California State University-Long Beach](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/majors/) lists an [average net price of $7,183](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and a median federal debt of $18,329 among Business/Managerial Economics completers who borrowed. |
| 6 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $69,338 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
|  | [Santa Clara University](/school/santa-clara-university/majors/) ranks 6th on this list, with [median earnings of $69,338](/school/santa-clara-university/outcomes/) for its Business/Managerial Economics graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 48%. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Business/Managerial Economics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled. For 1 of the 6 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between Chapman University and Westmont College is $163, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $15,640.

## Related rankings

-   Business/Managerial Economics Programs
-   [Best Colleges in California](/rankings/best-colleges-in-california/)
-   Business/Managerial Economics Programs in Georgia
-   Business/Managerial Economics Programs in New York
-   Business/Managerial Economics Programs in Ohio
-   Business/Managerial Economics Programs in Tennessee
-   [Best Accounting Colleges in California](/rankings/best-accounting-colleges-in-california/)
-   [Best Business Colleges in California](/rankings/best-business-colleges-in-california/)
-   Accounting Colleges in California for Social Mobility